Standarduser

How do you name a chord that involves only 2 notes, like B seventh fret and and e seventh fret?

mdc

Dyad, double stop.

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tyler_j

It's an interval. A perfect 5th, I believe.

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Downfall93

If E is the root, it's a fifth, if b is the root it's a fourth.

chronowarp

Fourths and Fifths are just reflections of each other!

Also, a "power" chord, which is just a harmonic fifth interval, has an inherent major quality due to how low the Maj3 is in the overtone series. Especially when it's distorted.

at least, that's what they say.

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ChucklesMginty

How does this work then if you're playing a minor triad?

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thewoodsterix

E5 first inversion is probably the best "proper" name.

MaXiMuse

Chords contain at least 3 notes so it's an interval yeah.

e|-7-|
B|-7-|

is a fourth, so it's an inverted power chord.

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MaXiMuse

I think you mean B5.

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chronowarp

Whatcha mean?

I think part of why a minor chord is historically "dark" or "dooming" is because of the internal dissonance of the M3 overtone w/ the root and the m3 of the chord. At least that's what Leonard Bernstein told me.

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Junior#1

Um no. It's E5. If it were B5, then instead of E you would have F#.

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Artemis Entreri

I prefer to call them simultaneities.

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vampirelazarus

But...... What?

I dont think omitting the third can imply any major/minor quality. At least not if you're playing just a 1st and 5th.

I could be wrong though, it has been a long ass time since Ive been here, or anywhere near music theory.

(Seriously though, way to ****ing long.)

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chronowarp

OF course it can.
When you play a pitch you aren't just hearing the fundamental, the overtones have a significant role in how you perceive pitch. The maj3 is extremely low in the overtone series, and because of that it's much more prominent.

Overdriving a signal brings out the harmonics even more...so ya, I mean a basic power chord does have a sort of inherent major quality - not anywhere to the same effect as if you were audibly playing the third, however.

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MaggaraMarine

What are the other instruments playing at the same time? What is played before and after it? Guitar isn't the only instrument that affects the harmony. And that fifth will become a chord when you add the other instruments. But without the other instruments and any other notes played before or after it, it's a B5.

For example the note before or after this could be D. Then it would be B minor. Or if the other instruments were playing D#, it would be B major.

And guys who are saying it's E5: Look at the first post. It says 7th fret on B string (F#) and 7th fret on E string (B).

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Max Dread

There's a fair bit of crap being spouted in this thread, enough for me not to know where to start with it all!!!

J-Dawg158

Context is how you name it, like what maggaramarine was talking about in his post. Naming a chord is kind of like trying to define a word that has several different meanings. You can give a rough approximation just by looking at it, but until you see it in context it's just a guess.

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Wiegenlied

choronowarp is absolutely correct about the M3 overtone but it is very suttle. as for the other questions in this thread, you are mostly correct in your assumptions. If you're playing a minor third along with the 1 + 5, that M3 overtone doesn't dissapear but becomes all but irrelevant, being completely overwhelmed by the harmony implied by the notes that are present. Not to mention the minor 3rd interval has overtones of its own, including the M3 which coincidentally matches the 5th of the chord now.

But wait, if each pitch has a M3 overtone, wouldnt an actual major 3rd interval have a M3 overtone, making that overtone augmnted to the root. Yup, but the major chord still is the most harmonically stable chord, and this should give you an idea of how little of an effect these overtones really have. I think what chrono was getting at was if the 3rd is omitted you the presence of the interval gains a bit of influence. And when you start getting 4+ pitches in a chord then there are so many overtones you can have notes that fall well out of the scale. Therefore, I would never assume any chord is anything else then the pitches purposely being played, anymore then I would think of each individual note as a major chord (because overtones create just that).

As for context that is another thing completly. Of course if you are in a situation where you play a double stop or 4/5 diad, you can simply analyse the key/scale and figure out what chord that could potentially be, but that still doesnt make it that chord, and there's probably a reason that note was omitted

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gunsnroses#1

The 3rd of a chord determines whether it is major or minor. Period. You may be using only 'power chords' in a song and it sound either happy or sad, but that is due to the scale you are using, not the 'chords' themselves. Without the 3rd, they are inherently neutral.